Latch bolt protector

ABSTRACT

The hereindisclosed concept pertains, broadly construed, to novel safeguarding and tamper-preventing means designed and structurally adapted to be installed in a gap existing between the usual jamb-supported striker plate and coordinating door supported latch bolt, and wherein said means is located and carried by the jamb, is associatively oriented with the latch bolt, is made up of tough interrelated brush-bristles and intercepts and blocks access to the latch bolt. The spacespanning bristles provide a formidable guard and prohibit unauthorized insertion of the commonly used plastic probing card or any equivalent jimmying implement, thus rendering the latch bolt virtually inaccessible. Specifically, the bristles can (1) be permanently built into and as part of the striker plate, (2) fastened as an accessory to a surface of the doorjamb, or (3) made up and sold as an applicable attachment for said striker plate.

United States Patent Wepsala, Jr.

111 3,826,526 [451 July 30, 1974 LATCH BOLT PROTECTOR Inventor: George B. Wepsala, Jr., 2398 NE.

28th St., Lighthouse Point, Fla. 33064 Filed: Mar. 16, 1973 Appl. No.: 341,949

[52] US. Cl 292/346, 70/4 16, 292/340 [51] Int. Cl. E05c 21/00 [58] Field of Search 292/346, 341.14; 70/416,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1957 Miller ..49 4ss 12/1957 Henry 292/346 ll/l960 Muessel 49 503 X 2,799,063 2,8l6,788 2,96 I ,7 l 9 Primary Examiner-Richard E. Moore Attorney, Agent, or FirmClarence A. OBrien; Harvey B. Jacobson [5 7 ABSTRACT The hereindisclosed concept pertains, broadly construed, to novel safeguarding and tamper-preventing means designed and structurally adapted to be installed in a gap existing between the usual jambsupported striker plate and coordinating door supported latch bolt, and wherein said means is located and carried by the jamb, is associatively oriented with the latch bolt, is made up of tough interrelated brushbristles and intercepts and blocks access to the latch bolt. The space-spanning bristles provide a formidable guard and prohibit unauthorized insertion of the commonly used plastic probing card or any equivalent jimmying implement, thus rendering the latch bolt virtually inaccessible. Specifically, the bristles can (1) be permanently built into and as part of the striker plate, (2) fastened as an accessory to a surface of the doorjamb, or (3) made up and sold as an applicable attachment for said striker plate.

3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures Door Frame Oufide PAIENIED JUL 3 01974 A/Door Frame Dow LATCH BOLT PROTECTOR This invention relates to protecting guards which are constructed in one form or another, are incorporated in and as an added feature on doorjamb striker plates and which are intended to forestall tampering with tapered spring-biased latch bolts such as are currently being used and has to do, more particularly, with an innovation which has been found to better achieve the safety promotion result desired.

It is a matter of common knowledge that stable but bendably resilient plastic cards, flexible metal and equivalent implements and perhaps even special tools have been and are being successfully utilized by burglars and unauthorized intruders to dislodge and retract latch bolts and, in so doing, to gain entry into homes and buildings. Aware of such practices and with a view toward coping with the same many and varied inventions have been offered for safeguarding use. An object of the present invention is to promote progress in this field and, in so doing, to bring into use a structurally and functionally unique adaptation which will well serve the purposes for which it has been devised and experimentally but satisfactorily used.

For background purposes attention is directed to the lock guard revealed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,853,456 granted to GordonL. Ross and which features the adoption and use of a specially constructed striker plate which, it would seem requires accurate initial installation involving both the door and component parts as distinguished from the simplified addition aspect which will be hereinafter more fully comprehended and understood. A similarly and relatively complicated construction and installation is revealed in the anti-theft lock construction covered in U.S. Pat. No. 3,606,429 granted to Charles E. Palmer but which has a bearing on the instant matter in that a structurally unique striker plate is used. Prior patents other than the two mentioned have been issued with a view toward advancing the art but, being less significant need not, it is submitted, be here cited.

By way of introduction it may well be mentioned that the instant concept relies for novelty not only on an improved guard-equipped striker plate but to guards which lend themselves to mounting directly on a doorjamb surface or on and as an attachment for a striker plate and, in addition, on the combination of a door frame, associated door latching means between coacting surfaces thereof and feasible intercepting and blocking means which virtually prohibits unauthorized insertion of a plastic pocket size card or a similar jimmying implement with a view toward engaging and forcibly dislodging and releasing the latch bolt.

More specifically novelty is predicated on the adoption and use of a latch bolt guard or protector which invokes the use of tough, sturdy but flexible and resilient brush-type bristles, bendably resilient blocking fingers and, more explicitly, anchored bristles whose free ends are capable of being trimmed or cut to vary the length thereof while, at the same time, maintaining a desired outward angular slant of the bristles.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numeralsrefer to like parts throughout.

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary horizontal view with parts in section and elevation showing the door frame and door and other features of the overall combination taken on the plane of the section line ll of FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken approximately on the plane of the section line 22 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the indicating arrows.

FIG. 3 is a view in perspective of a striker plate which, if desired, may be manufactured with a C- shaped protector or guard to frustrate the use of a probing or jimmying implement on either top, bottom or side.

FIG. 4 is a view in perspective of an attachment type guard or protector which may be sold as such and bolted or otherwise fastened to a striker plate already, for example, in use.

'FIG. 5 is a view in perspective showing a modification similar to FIG. 4 with peelable backing and an adhesive surface and which may also be construed as an attachment for either a doorjamb surface or striker plate as the case may be.

With reference in particular to FIGS. 1 and 2 the door frame, generally stated, is denoted by the numeral 6, the inside vertical surface being denoted at 8 and the outside or exterior surface at 10. The exteriorly disposed limit stop or door stop strip is denoted at 12, the latch bolt receiving socket at 14 and the jamb surface at 16. It is on the surface 16 that the conventional type striker plate 18 is recessed, mounted and screwed or otherwise held in place by way of fastener holes 20 as shown in FIG. 3. The plate proper 22 is provided centrally with a latch bolt hole or opening 24 which when applied registers with the socket 14 as brought out in FIG. 1. The inner-marginal edge of the plate is denoted at 26 and the median portion of the edge is provided with the usual flared or convexly curved camming tongue 28. This striker plate as suggested is of a conventional type and is recessed and applied in a customary manner as brought out in FIGS. 1 and 2 and in practice it may be provided at the time of manufacture with an intercepting and blocking guard of the type denoted, for example, at 30 in FIG. 3. As has already been implied it is within the purview of the overall concept to manufacture the striker plate with the guard means constituting a permanent or factory component thereof. While considering this aspect of the matter and keeping an eye on FIG. 3 it can be assumed that this guard is adhesively or otherwise permanently attached and in appearance is substantially C-shaped and embodies a median body portion 32 paralleling one edge of the opening 24, an upper branch 34 and a lower branch 36 paralleling the associated edge portions of the opening. While this guard may be of some construction other than that shown it is preferably one which is made up of a multiplicity of tough, durable, bendably resilient brush bristles which are denoted at 38. The bristles are shown to be of equal length but in practice only the inner anchorable ends of the bristles are secured, the opposite or free terminal ends being normally flush but capable of being trimmed with a pair of scissors to a length only slightly longer than the space between the door and the jamb to ensure that the bristles will assume a desired angular position required, that is when the door is closed in the manner illustrated for example in FIG. 1. It might be stated in connection with the showing in FIG. 1 that the space or gap has been intentionally shown as relatively wide to emphasize the installation and safeguarding purposes of the guard. Taking up now the door this is denoted by the numeral 40 and is recessed to accommodate a mortise lock 42 the face plate of which is denoted at 44 and is seated in a recess provided therefor in the surface 46 which confronts the jamb surface 16. The latch bolt is denoted at 48 and is conventional and the tapered or convex end thereof is normally projected and seated in the socket 14 but is capable of being withdrawn for opening the door when unlatched. Both FIGS. land 2 bring out the C-shpaed guard 30 and show that the bristles 38 bridge or span the space between the doorjamb and door'surface 46 so that when, under ordinary circumstances, the door is closed, the bristles are laterally bent and assume an inclined or angular position with the free ends abutting the coacting door surfaces. With the guard interposed between the door stop 12 and the projectable and retractable latch bolt 48 it will be seen that even though the potential intruder may beskillful he will nevertheless have difficulty in obtaining access to the latch bolt. In this connection it could well be that bristles such as are used :could be fire resistant or that steel or metal fingers which might be classified as wire bristles could beused in lieu of plas'ticbristles. In any event and depending on experimental needs the guard will be built and installed to cope with such conditions. It is reiterated that the bristles may be adhesively applied as suggested at 50 in FIG. 1 or may be more permanently bonded depending on'the manufacturers requirements. 4

The top and bottom branches or component parts 34 and 36 will function to thwart access to the latch bolt from top or bottom surfaces thereof as is thought to be evident.

It is within the purview of the invention to use a simple block-like or brush-type attachment of the type shown in FIG. 4 wherein a rectangular backing member is denoted at 52. The surface of this is provided with a batch or block of-bristles as at 54 thus making up the ready-to-use attachment 56. Bolt holes are provided as at 58 sothat this attachment can be bolted to the surface of the striker plate in lieu of theC-shaped type 30. It would also be possible to make the attachment 56 sufficiently proportional that it could be bolted directly on a surface of the jamb not necessarily on the surface of the striker plate (not illustrated). This same attachment idea is carried out to an extent in the modification appearing in FIG. 5. In FIG. a slightly different result is attainable.

With respect in particular to FIG. 5 the block or strip mayv be of elongated form so that portions thereof could be cut off at the site of work instead of having prefabricated units of the type shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. In this adaptation the plastic or -equivalent bristles are shown at 60 andare attached to a suitable backing 62 having adhesive media thereomThe adhesive media is exposed when the peelable backing strip, of non-adhesive material is removed. The backing strip is denoted at 64 and the overall guard or attachment is denoted at 66.

By selecting the proper bristle-equipped guard (FIGS. 3, 4 or 5) and installing it, depending on the prevailing circumstances, it will be evident that the desired intercepting and tamper-preventing results are capable of being satisfactorily attained. A more extended description is thought'to be unnecessary.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination, a door frame providing a doorway and embodying, when in use, a vertical doorjamb surface having a recessed socket for reception and retention of a latch bolt and also having a vertical fixedly mounted outside door abutting stop strip, a door encompassed by'and supportively hingedly mounted for horizontal swinging within the confines of said door frame, said door having a vertical edge confronting, spaced from, and providing an accessibly vulnerable gap, said vertical edge having a built-in mortise lock provided with a projectable and retractable latch bolt aligned with and normally projecting retentively into said socket, a striker plate superimposed and fixedly mounted on said jamb surface and having the usual latch bolt opening aligned with said socket and also having a convexly rounded latch bolt camming tongue on its indoor marginal edge coordinating with said opening, and intercepting, tamper preventing means supportively carried by said jamb surface, said means being oriented with said latch bolt, positioned on an outdoors side thereof, and prohibiting unauthorized insertion of a plastic pocket-size probing card, or similar jimmying implement with a view toward engaging and forcibly dislodging and releasing said, latch bolt, said means being characterized by a batch of stiff but bendable bristles bridging the gap and blocking access to said latch bolt, said bristles being of a predetermined length greater than the space between the jamb surface and vertical edge of said door and flexed and angled outwardly in a direction toward said stop strip.

2. In combination, a door frame providing a doorway and embodying, when in use, a vertical doorjamb surface having a recessed socket for reception and retention of a-latch bolt and also having a vertical fixedly mounted outside door abutting stop strip, a door encompassed by and supportively hingedly mounted for horizontal swinging within the confines of said door frame, said door having a vertical edge confronting, spaced from, and providing an accessibly vulnerable gap, said vertical edge having a built-in mortise lock provided with a projectable and retractable latch bolt aligned with and normally projecting retentively into said socket, a striker plate superimposed and fixedly mounted on said jamb surface and having the usual latch bolt opening'aligned with said socket and also having a convexly rounded latch bolt camming tongue on its indoor marginal edge coordinating with said opening, and intercepting, tamper preventing means supportively carried by said jamb surface, said means being oriented with said latch bolt, .positioned on an outdoors side thereof, and prohibiting unauthorized insertion of a plastic pocket-size probing card, or similar jimmying implement with a view toward engaging and forcibly dislodging and releasing said latch bolt, said means being characterized by a batch of stiff but bendable bristles bridging the gap and blocking access to said latch bolt, said bristles having free flexible ends and'being made of tough material but which can be severed with scissors in a manner to shorten the length of the bristles if and when necessary, said bristles being thickly grouped together and having corresponding ends fixedly anchored on a surface of the striker plate bordering a coacting marginal edge of the opening in said plate, the overall group of bristles being C-shaped, whereby the several component portions effectually surround coordinating marginal portions of the plate opening to protectively guard and effectually ward off access to said opening from top, bottom or side.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a striker plate having the usual centralized latch bolt opening and opening. 

1. In combination, a door frame providing a doorway and embodying, when in use, a vertical doorjamb surface having a recessed socket for reception and retention of a latch bolt and also having a vertical fixedly mounted outside door abutting stop strip, a door encompassed by and supportively hingedly mounted for horizontal swinging within the confines of said door frame, said door having a vertical edge confronting, spaced from, and providing an accessibly vulnerable gap, said vertical edge having a built-in mortise lock provided with a projectable and retractable latch bolt aligned with and normally projecting retentively into said socket, a striker plate superimposed and fixedly mounted on said jamb surface and having the usual latch bolt opening aligned with said socket and also having a convexly rounded latch bolt camming tongue on its indoor marginal edge coordinating with said opening, and intercepting, tamper preventing means supportively carried by said jamb surface, said means being oriented with said latch bolt, positioned on an outdoors side thereof, and prohibiting unauthorized insertion of a plastic pocket-size probing card, or similar jimmying implement with a view toward engaging and forcibly dislodging and releasing said latch bolt, said means being characterized by a batch of stiff but bendable bristles bridging the gap and blocking access to said latch bolt, said bristles being of a predetermined length greater than the space between the jamb surface and vertical edge of said door and flexed and angled outwardly in a direction toward said stop strip.
 2. In combination, a door frame providing a doorway and embodying, when in use, a vertical doorjamb surface having a recessed socket for reception and retention of a latch bolt and also having a vertical fixedly mounted outside door abutting stop strip, a door encompassed by and supportively hingedly mounted for horizontal swinging within the confines of said door frame, said door having a vertical edge confronting, spaced from, and providing an accessibly vulnerable gap, said vertical edge having a built-in mortise lock provided with a projectable and retractable latch bolt aligned with and normally projecting retentively into said socket, a striker plate superimposed and fixedly mounted on said jamb surface and having the usual latch bolt opening aligned with said socket and also having a convexly rounded latch bolt camming tongue on its indoor marginal edge coordinating with said opening, and intercepting, tamper preventing means supportively carried by said jamb surface, said means being oriented with said latch bolt, positioned on an outdoors side thereof, and prohibiting unauthorized insertion of a plastic pocket-size probing card, or similar jimmying implement with a view toward engaging and forcibly dislodging and releasing said latch bolt, said means being characterized by a batch of stiff but bendable bristles bridging the gap and blocking access to said latch bolt, said bristles having free flexible ends and being made of tough material but which can be severed with scissors in a manner to shorten the length of the bristles if and when necessary, said bristles being thickly grouped together and having corresponding ends fixedly anchored on a surface of the striker plate bordering a coacting marginal edge of the opening in said plate, the overall group of bristles being C-shaped, whereby the several component portions effectually surround coordinating marginal portions of the plate opening to protectively guard and effectually ward off access to said opening from top, bottom or side.
 3. As a new article of manufacture, a striker plate having the usual centralized latch bolt opening and convexly contoured margiNal latch bolt camming tongue, and tamper preventing means operatively mounted on a predetermined surface of said plate and bordering at least one marginal edge portion of said opening, said means comprising a block-like batch of tough but bendable card intercepting and blocking bristles nestled together in the manner of a bristle-type brush, said brush being C-shaped and proportional in size to said opening and the component portions coinciding with the associated marginal portions of said opening. 